Police: West York man tried to lure kids into van with candy

Julio Flores Jr., 43, is in York County Prison on $100,000 bail, according to the York County Sheriff's Office.

Julio Flores Jr., 43, of West York, arrested on charges of luring a child into a motor vehicle, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. (York County Prison)

York, PA -

West York Borough officers found a mattress, latex gloves, candy and marijuana inside a van belonging to a man they arrested Saturday for trying to lure a child into a motor vehicle, according to charging documents.

As of Sunday night, Julio Flores Jr., 43, of the 1100 block of West King Street, West York, was in York County Prison on $100,000 bail. In addition to the luring a child into a motor vehicle charge, he faces one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

At 7:13 p.m., West York officers Bradley Polinski and David Kahley were sent to an area of the borough after a message was sent to all county police departments on their radios about a man trying to lure children into his van, charging documents state..

The officers spoke with two juvenile victims, who said that a man approached them near Slagel Park in the 1300 block of West Poplar Street and asked them if they were still in school, documents state. He then asked them if they wanted candy, documents state.

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The victims "declined and felt scared that they might be lured to the vehicle," documents state. They left the area to tell an adult, as the van drove west toward Highland Avenue, documents state.

They described the man as heavy-set with a slight beard, wearing a new York Yankees hat with sunglasses on the brim, and a blue jacket or shirt, documents state.

At 7:51 p.m., the officers found the dark-green van, and noticed that it had curtains up on its back window and between the front and back areas, documents state.

A neighbor told police they saw the man -- later identified as Flores -- go into a home in the 1500 block of West King Street. Police knocked on the door and Flores answered, documents state.

Flores told police he had been there for more than an hour, and that prior to that, he had been at his home. The officers told Flores why they were there, and then asked him if he had anyone inside his van, documents state.

Flores said no, and when Kahley said he was going to check, Flores said, "You can look all you want," documents state.

Inside the rear of the van, police found a mattress. In the front, between the seats, they found a plastic container of candy. In the glove box, they found a pair of latex gloves and lollipops, documents state.

Police then called one of the victims, who arrived his mother. The boy recognized Flores and the van, documents state.

The boy "was visibly shaken and appeared scared when he and his mother were identifying Flores," documents state.

When Flores was taken to Central Booking, three pipes, marijuana and a scale were found in Flores' clothing, documents state.

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